Far, Doth Not the Apple Fall
by Tauvian
Summary: "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most tragic one of all?" - "It is an answer most heartbreaking and most true. Why my Queen, it is you."
1. Prologue: Mirror, Mirror

_Disclaimer: I do not own any Once Upon A Time characters; or any other previously established fairy tale characters. However, the plot is mine._

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**Far, Doth Not the Apple Fall**

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**Prologue: Mirror, Mirror**

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_The Evil Queen… the Evil Queen … Evil… Evil… That was all that they would ever see her as. To them, that was all she'd ever be…_

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"Why do I even bother?" Regina huffed to herself as she made her way to her bed chamber. Three weeks. It had been three weeks since the Wicked Witch was defeated and they all had returned to the Enchanted Forest. Everyone. Including Emma and Henry. Yes, Henry was here; and she should be delighted, but… She hadn't seen him since they first arrived. Emma and the two idiots were doing their best to keep her away from her son. And it was making her infuriated. Even after all that she had done; after all she had sacrificed. All they saw in her was the Evil Queen. She would never escape her past.

She passed by several guards on her way; each one sending her a hateful glare. Once upon a time, they would never have dared to even look upon her, for fear of her wrath. However, now-a-days she was like a de-clawed, de-fanged tiger; not very much a threat at all. The restraint alone that she showed every day by not doing harm to those who wish and have exceedingly tried to do harm to her should at the very least prove her change. But no… not when it comes to the narrow-minded former citizens of Storybrooke. To them, she _is_ the Evil Queen; and that it all there is. No one dares to approach her. Even _Henry_, the one person who matters, won't approach her. She quickened her steps; she needed to be alone, where prying eyes could not see.

Upon entering her room, Regina slammed the large double doors shut with the usage of her magic. Suddenly short of breath, she grabbed onto the poster bed in the middle of the room. It was times like this that she needed to remind herself to use her magic sparingly. She had lost a great deal from the final battle with her sister; and still it had not replenished. This worried Regina. All magic had a cost. This time she got to keep Henry… somewhat, so what had the cost been this time? Shaking her head, she decided to worry about it later.

Calmly, she walked over to her vanity, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "Magic mirror on the wall," She began sadly, thinking of the last time she said those very words, "who is the most tragic one of all?" She asked, pitiably partially believing that Sydney would not show. How surprised she was, when his face finally appeared in the reflection.

Now that they were back in the Enchanted Forest, Sydney was placed back within his curse within the mirror. As angry as he was with Regina, for some unexplainable reason, he still loved her. When she was happy, he was happy. And when she hurt, well… There was no smile upon his visage as he stared at his lonely Queen… still as lonely as the days when they first met. He let out a sigh, before answering her question. For it was an answer most heartbreaking and most true. "Why it is you, my Queen." He answered solemnly. Disgusted with himself immediately upon the lone tear he watched slide down her cheek. Desperate to wipe it away, he was quickly reminded of his mirrored situation. His heart broke all over again as he watched his Queen turning away from him. The last thing he saw before disappearing from the glass was the shaking of her shoulders as she fell onto her knees.

.

.

"This is not up for discussion. We want the witch's head, and we want it now!" Shouted a disgruntled Grumpy, while the crowd surrounding him nodded their heads and cheered in agreement.

"Let's not be hasty my friends. It is because of her Majesty that we are finally home safe and sound." Reasoned the voice of Captain Hook, from his place beside Emma at the great table in the throne hall. Beside them were the Charmings with Emma next to her mother and David next to Philip, then Mulan, and then the Blue Fairy who was beside Jiminy Cricket. It was this lot that comprised of the Charmings temporary counsel.

"It's because of her we were there in the first place." Granny snorted in annoyance.

Hook merely shrugged, as though that meant nothing. "Well one could argue that it was Rumple who did indeed give her the curse to begin with."

"Not helping." Emma mumbled to him.

"Easy for you to say pirate; you weren't even a part of the curse that ripped the rest of us away from our homes, for some of us our very families." Voiced a slightly large man Emma remembered to be father to the two orphans they found in Storybrooke, well, supposed orphans.

"That witch deserves to burn for everything she's done!" Growled another unnamed villager.

David held up a hand. "There will be no burning of witches at the stake in this kingdom." He stated loudly and firmly. Thoughts of the other world's dealings with Salem crossing his mind.

"What of our children?!" A woman shouted this time. "Do you truly expect us to remain in a kingdom that houses the Evil Queen while our young ones remain in danger? She's done so many terrible things…" They woman began to slowly cry, as her husband reached for her.

The man held onto his crying wife. "She cannot be permitted to live, your Majesties; For the sake of our children."

Snow had a frown on her face. She heard what the villagers were saying, but she believed that Regina had finally changed. Still, after years and years of forgiving the woman and to be let down had hardened her feelings for her Step Mother. Snow has experienced having a child ripped away from her; years that she will never get back. When she thought of her new beautiful bouncing baby who was currently with Aurora and her child in the nursery, a cold fear gripped her heart. "He's right." She said softly.

All heads at the table and in the room turned to look at Snow White in shock. "What?" Was all Emma could say.

Snow looked up as though surprised to find so many eyes on her. She pressed on, "Regina is responsible for so many terrible… terrible things. But in these past couple of years, she has redeemed herself and saved us all. She's changing… She has changed, for the sake of Henry." Snow spoke, then turned to face her daughter. "But she still has magic. She's still dangerous, as much as it pains me to say this."

"What are you doing?" Emma questioned.

But Snow shook her head to prevent her from speaking anymore. "You've never seen the Evil Queen Emma. You don't know what she's capable of. And you've never seen her as the light hearted loving woman that she was before she married my father." Then she turned to look at everyone else. "None of you have. And if she as someone who was good and pure could turn into the Evil Queen; what's to stop it from happening all over again?" Snow questioned. Everyone was quiet at first, but then one by one the villagers began to agree.

David simply eyed his wife. He knew what Regina meant to her, so he couldn't understand her change of heart. "Snow, do you know what you are saying? You really want to execute Regina?" He asked in slight shock.

Snow's eyes widened. "Oh no! No, not executed. I think we should exile her. She deserves the chance to be happy, and maybe she could start over one day." Her eyes became watery. "Just someplace else."

"Regina will never be happy unless she has Henry." Emma pointed out. "I'm not giving up my son-"

"Henry will be staying here Emma. She won't attack us or fight us, not with him here." Snow stated.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You want to use my son as a shield."

"Of course not, but he's safer here with us. And Regina won't want to disappoint him by becoming evil again; even if he's not with her." Snow finished. Emma's frown only deepened, while Hook remained silent at her side.

"I doubt that we need to fear Regina's power." The Blue Fairy spoke up.

This caught everyone's interest. "Why is that?" Asked Mulan.

Blue gave a soft smile. "There is a price for all magic. This time around, the price for Regina using magic to defeat Zelena was her magic itself." The hall grew silent. "That is not to say that she is not a danger. Just that right now she weaker than usual. It will take time for it to all be restored; and even then, it may not be the same." She looked at Snow. "As a fairy, I do not suffer from bloodlust. If you wish to grant Regina the chance to start over and find happiness, then I will not stand in the way. But the people have spoken; she must pay for her crimes."

"Where will she go?" Asked the deep voice of Prince Philip. "Like you, I shall banish her from my kingdom; as I am sure all of the other reigning monarchs will do the same."

David shrugged his shoulder. "That is not our concern. If Regina is to be exiled, she'll need to find refuge wherever she can. It's for the fates to decide."

"I'm not sure that sending the Queen off on her own, with no family or some form of support system is a good idea at all." Offered the small voice of Jiminy. "In Storybrooke, she showed so much progress in her sessions with me. I fear that doing this will only set her on a destructive path." He finished in concern.

"The cricket's right. To send the lass away whilst removing her away from her son is cruel. Something I never pegged you for Princess." Hook said to Snow in disgust. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he noticed that Snow had the nerve to look affronted.

"For this to work, she can have to further contact with Henry. Once she's exiled, that's it. They both move on with their lives separately." Emma said, laying out her condition. She promptly ignored the look that Hook was currently giving her. Snow nodded her head, as did the rest on the counsel; even little Jiminy doing the same, albeit disparagingly.

On that note, David rose from his seat, "With that said, I hereby-"

"Wait a bloody second!" Shouted Hook as he jumped from his seat. "Are we seriously going to place all of the blame on the Queen?!" He asked, not believing what was going on. "There were others involved in the casting of this curse. Though I won't start naming all of the small fry besides Whale is now off in his own realm. But let's not forget Rumplestiltskin designed the entire scheme!" He shouted frustrated that they were turning on Regina after all that talk of family in Storybrooke; as well as the fact that the crocodile once again was getting away with not paying for his crimes.

"There is nothing with can do about Rumple. He is far too powerful." David pointed out.

"Besides, he's gone back to his castle with Belle. As long as we never bother him, he won't bother us." Snow told Hook calmly.

Hook didn't care their reason. He was already shaking his head, when he felt a soft hand grip onto his. "Hook, calm down. Please." Emma insisted, eyes big and imploring.

Ever since Baelfire's death, the two had grown close. He remained her rock when she needed him to. And he admired her strength through it all. But now as he looked down on her, he realized he was looking at a stranger. In fact, they were all strangers to him now. He recognized no one. Hook removed his hand from Emma, and stepped away from the table. "I'll not be a part of this… this backstabbing. This betrayal, because that's what it is. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. That is after all, your specialty isn't it, Snow?" He asked her looking right into her eyes where he could see the shame building up.

"That is enough Hook!" David shouted, not wanting the man to upset his family further.

"Killian, please." Emma begged in a hushed whisper, looking distraught at what was happening.

Hook held his heads up in defense. "Oh I'm done here luv. I'm not much for hypocrites and all that. You're not the people I thought you were." He began making his way out the hall, the crowd giving him a wide berth towards his exit. He halted in his step midway. He turned back around to face Snow. "You could have put an end to all of this, here and now Princess. I sincerely hope, you know what you are doing." He told her, before turning around and leaving the hall without once glance back.

Snow flinched at his words. Was she making the wrong choice? No, she shook her head. This was right. She reached down and grabbed Emma's hand, knowing that though she did not show it, Hook hurt her by leaving. "Everything will be alright." She whispered to Emma while David once more spoke to the crowd.

"I hereby strip Regina of her title and position as Queen and thereby exile her from this kingdom for all of time!" David shouted so that all could hear him.

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Henry stood looking in the mirror at his attire. He still could not get used to the sight. He looked like a knight, or more accurately, a prince. He was still very excited to be in the Enchanted Forest at last with his family. So much had happened in the last few weeks, it all was a blur really. However, there was one thing he noticed amiss. Where was Regina? Where was his mom?

Granted at first, he was too enthralled by everything to really pay attention to his surroundings. And there was the period that he mourned the loss of his birth father the moment his memories returned to him. He knew that Emma was trying to protect him. But every time he tried to see Regina, they would tell him that she was resting or that things needed to be settled. At the time, he accepted that; after all she was or had been the Evil Queen. It made sense that the dust needed to be settled before they could all move on. Problem was, he was done waiting.

Thrusting his chamber doors open, he eyed the two guards standing there. "Where is my mom?" He asked them.

One guard spoke up, "Princess Emma is in a meeting in the throne hall."

Henry shook his head, "Not Emma, my mom… where's Regina?" He asked again.

"The Evil Queen? We have explicit orders to keep you away from her." The second guard answered.

The young boy glared at them. "She's not the Evil Queen anymore. So it doesn't go against your orders to let me see Regina." He tried again.

"Not happening Prince Henry." The first one told him sternly.

Henry's face turned into a scowl. Why were they keeping him from his mom? "Fine. I'm going to see Emma." He told them, as he walked down the hall; noticing a third guard coming out of nowhere to shadow him. Resisting a sigh, Henry decided that it was time to have words with Emma.

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Regina was now pacing the floor of her room. After she had broken down, she rose herself up and dusted herself off. A queen did not behave in such conduct. They were all making her mad. She needed to see her son. She suddenly halted her steps. "What if he doesn't want to see me?" She asked out loud. However, she didn't have long to contemplate that thought, as there was a banging on her door before it was thrust open. A barrage of armed men bombarded into the room, surrounding her efficiently. "What is the meaning of this?!" She shouted to them.

"You are to come with us witch!" The bravest of the men shouted.

"Have care in how you speak to your Queen." Regina warned him in her most terrifying voice.

"You're no Queen… not anymore!" Another shouted as they all laughed, thrusting their weapons towards her.

Regina was not amused. She itched to use her magic, but every little spell weakened her considerably. Instead, she opted to allow them to lead her away. Where? She knew not.

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In no time, Hook reached the docks where his beloved Jolly Roger awaited him. Stepping on board the lovely ship, he shouted to one of the few crewmen on board, to go rally the rest of the crew from the taverns and whore houses they were visiting; it was time to set sail. For so long he thought his place was beside Emma; he was wrong. No, his place was with the sea and the Jolly Roger; and he looked forward to whatever adventure they set him on next.

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Regina was brought into the throne hall. She noticed the not so small group of the villagers, as well as the small group consisting of the Charmings and other insignificant little creatures. What she found odd, was that Henry was nowhere in sight; nor was Hook oddly enough; considering his recent attachment at Emma's side. She was taken to stand before the smaller group. "What is the meaning of this?" She inquired loudly and foreboding. "What authority have you to strip me of my title as Queen? Though not a title that was wanted, but mine all the same."

"This is our kingdom now Regina." David started, already upset with her speaking as though she were in charge.

However, Snow stepped forward. "Regina, the people have spoken, and as the counsel, we've decided…" She trailed off, unable to continue.

"Decided what dear? Let's do try and complete our sentences." Regina said condescendingly.

"You're exiled Regina." Emma butted in. "That complete enough for you."

Regina's eyes widened. "Exiled?" She questioned, completely in shock. A few years ago, sure exile, execution, all the above; she could see it. But after everything she did, after everything they've all been through together. Snow's talk about family… Her mind drifted to her son.

"Yeah, exiled, banned, banished, expelled, ejected, kicked-out never to return." Emma listed for her, crossing her arms. She was not in the mood for Regina's attitude. Not after Killian left her like that.

Regina was still shell shocked. She could feel her knees buckling, but fought to remain standing. "Ex… exhi…" She couldn't say it. "Wha… what about Henry?" She asked.

"What about him?" Emma asked, uncaring.

"Emma." Snow reprimanded.

"What about him?" Regina asked admonished. "He's my son Ms. Swan. You cannot keep me from my son!" She yelled, getting angry. She could feel the power pulsating in her blood, but she knew she was still much too weak.

Emma took several steps forward, and stood right in Regina's face. "He's my son, Regina. Mine. You are banished, and you will never see Henry again!" She shouted nastily, watching as all of the color drained from the other woman's face.

"Nooooooooo!" Came the pitched cry of a young boy. Everyone turned in surprise to see the dark haired young man standing at the threshold of the throne room.

It was Emma's turn to lose all color in her face. "Henry…"

"NO!" He shouted once more, running into the room, to Regina. Emma stepped in his way and grabbed for him. "No! Let me go!" He screamed, pushing Emma away from him.

Though now a pre-teen, the boy was getting stronger and Emma lost her footing, falling onto the hard marble floor. David and Snow were immediately at her side. Emma looked at her son. "Henry."

But Henry paid her no mind. He ran into Regina's open arms. "No Mom! You can't leave! You can't leave me!" He cried tears sliding down his face. He could hear Emma calling to him. He looked over her shoulder and gave her the angriest look he could muster. "She's my mom!" He shouted, not caring how Emma's face broke. He turned back to Regina. "Don't go!"

"I.." Regina began, her voice breaking, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't have much of a choice Henry."

Suddenly at her words he felt guilty; Guilty because he had been treating her horribly all this time. And still she fought for him, fought to keep him. But now, there was no fight. He gasped at the thought. "Don't you want me anymore?" He asked fearfully.

She could not hold it in anymore, she let the tears rain down her face while dropping down onto her knees. She tightened her arms around him, sinking into their embrace. "Oh baby, I will always want you. I love you so much Henry." She told him, not caring about their audience.

He nodded his head at her words, and then his eyes brightened. "I know! Take me with you!" He shouted in excitement. This caused the Charmings to move closer to them and the guards tensed at those words.

Regina almost felt her heartbreak at those words. "Oh Henry," She began, "if only I could." She let out a sob at that. The one time she needed her magic, she didn't have it to rely on. If only she weren't so weak. "I would give nothing more than to take us far far away where we could live happily ever after. Our own little fairy tale." The look on his face succeeded in breaking what little was left of her heart. "I'm weak Henry. Magic will not come to me right now." She explained as calmly as she could.

Henry took in his mother's features. "So… this is it."

Regina nodded her head. "This is it."

"You're not even going to fight?" He asked, a little angry.

Regina noticed his tone, "Henry…" She began, but found she could not continue. She didn't want to leave with him angry at her, but perhaps it was for the best. They were quiet for a moment longer, before Emma stepped in and pulled Henry away from Regina. He didn't fight this time; all of the fight leaving him suddenly.

"Regina, it's time." Snow told her, as David motioned for the guards to lead Regina out to the edge of the kingdom.

Henry watched as the woman who raised him was turned away from him. It all happened in slow motion for him. As they neared the exit of the throne room, Henry couldn't take it anymore. If she wasn't going to fight, then he would. He broke away from Emma and ran after them; ignoring the calls of his name from those behind him. "Mom! Mom, please don't go! I'm sorry!" He was suddenly snatched back by David, but he didn't stop fighting. "Mom please, I'm sorry don't…" He began crying harder, as he looked at David, "Please don't make my Mom leave." At the look David gave him, Henry knew it was a lost cause. He looked back to where the guards were pushing his mother out of the door. "I will find you! You hear me mom, I will find you!" He shouted, hoping that his voice carried to her.

Henry slumped down in David's arms completely distraught. He looked over to Snow and Emma and could see clear horror written upon their faces. They didn't know… they didn't expect that this would affect Henry so. He always seemed like he didn't care about Regina. The town's people still in the room stared on in awe of the boy.

But none of that mattered, not to Henry. He stood up and pushed David away from him. "I'm tired; I want to be left alone." He told them coldly.

"Come on Kid, I'll walk you to your room." Emma told him

"No, where's my mom's room? Take me there." He ordered.

Snow was very sensitive to her daughter's feelings as she could see that Emma was hurting deeply. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Isn't it enough that you took away my mom, Snow?" He asked her. She flinched at the usage of her name. Usually it's grandma, or at the very least Mary Margaret when they were in Storybrooke. "You'll take all that I have left of her too?"

David grabbed Snow's hand to put her at ease. "It's not that Henry. Her room could be dangero-"

"I'm not a stupid kid. I know that when we got back her you had her room cleared of her magic kit. You never did trust her. Never gave her a chance." Henry told him. He then looked at Emma, realizing in order to get want he wanted; he'd have to appear to her mothering senses. "I need this Emma. It hurts that she's gone. If I'm going to move on, I need to grieve first."

Emma nodded her head. "He's right. He should grieve." She told her parents. "I'll walk you." She told him, grabbing onto his shoulders and walking with him out of the room.

As they walked away, Snow turned to David. "I hope we made the right choice."

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The doors to Regina's room were still open. Henry walked in with Emma trailing after. The room was large; larger than Snow and David's. He guessed that it made sense; she was the Queen after all. After looking over the room, he turned to stare coldly at Emma, wondering why she was still there. It was funny. He left and brought this woman into his life because he thought Regina didn't love him. He couldn't hate Emma for what happened; in truth it was his entire fault. This was the woman who upon his birth said that she didn't want him. Then she had the audacity to claim him as hers now. Eventually, he would find a way to set thing right, but for now… now he just needed to mourn his true mother. "You walked me to her room." He reminded her.

Emma watched as Henry took in his surroundings. He seemed so different from the boy she came to know. She was just now realizing that she didn't know everything about Henry. But she was determined to change that soon. Once his mourning period was over, and he began moving on, she would be there for him. Before she knew it, he was staring at her again; reminding her that she brought him to the room. "Okay Kid, I guess I'll leave you to it then." She said awkwardly. When Henry just continued to stare at her coldly, she felt a pain in her chest. She turned to exit the room. Grabbing onto the doors closed them shut behind her. Walking down the hall, she knew that it would be a long road to his forgiveness. She just hoped he wouldn't hate her forever.

Once the doors closed shut behind Emma, all of the strength left Henry's body. His face turned red as the tears once more appeared. He missed his mother so much. Taking a few steps towards the bed, he made it halfway before falling to the floor; unknowingly in the very spot his mother fell earlier. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" He murmured over and over.

After a few minutes, Henry furiously wiped the tear streaks from his cheeks. He climbed to his feet and began looking around the room. He looked in the closet, under the bed, and finally around her vanity. Finding nothing there either, except jewelry and make-up he felt like giving. Angry at his acceptance of defeat, he pushed everything on top of the table onto the floor. Upon looking at the mess, he immediately regretted his actions. These were his mother's things. Once by one, he proceeded to pick up every piece and put them in their proper place.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he did not like what his saw. However, before he knew it, he was soon smiling and then laughing. Though any outsider might have thought he lost his marbles, really young Henry was just thinking of the significance of a mirror to the 'Evil Queen'; at least back in the real world. "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" He began in jest. The room was deafeningly quiet and his jovial spirit was fleeting as he thought of Regina. "I don't know when… and I don't know how… but I promise you Mom, I will find you." He vowed; before being completely mesmerized by the glowing of the vanity mirror before him. Henry heard the voice, before he saw him.

"Well, in that case, perhaps _I_ can be of some assistance to you, my Prince."

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**AN: Please let me know what you think and if I should continue. I think it works fine as a one-shot, but I actually have something in mind if I do continue it. Notice Regina says "Magic Mirror" where Henry says "Mirror Mirror"; I did it like that because the actual quote from the original story is "Magic Mirror", but it's a common misconception that it's "Mirror Mirror". So being that it's Regina's mirror, she'd know the proper way of saying it, where Henry grew up in the regular world where he consistently heard the common misconception of the phrase. As far as the title to the chapter, Mirror Mirror just sounds better.**

**Seriously, first OUAT fic. So don't be too harsh. Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you Bunches!**


	2. Chapter One: All Things Unseen

_Disclaimer: I do not own any Once Upon A Time characters; or any other previously established fairy tale characters. However, the plot is mine._

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**Far, Doth Not the Apple Fall**

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**Chapter One: All Things Unseen**

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Grunting and panting and the occasional ding of a sword sounded in the courtyard of the palace of Snow White and Prince Charming. "You're getting pretty good." David noted, as he took a moment to catch his breath. "You're a natural Henry." He told his grandson.

Henry on the other hand, took that moment to work on his stance. In time, he figured it would become second nature; but until then, he would be consciously aware. "Thanks." He told David, not really interested in talking. He was here to master swordsmanship, not bond with the man who declared his mother exiled.

David looked over at Henry. He could not help but notice that the youth was a lot different from the boy he was a few months ago. Although Henry tried to hide it, it was apparent that there was a change. Then again, David supposed that it was only natural, all things considered. "Henry," David began, voice deep with concern, "I didn't only want to bring you out here for our training session. There's something I would like to talk to you about."

The brunette resisted the urge to roll his eyes and he ran a hand through his now chin length hair. He did not want to talk to David. He didn't trust that he'd be able to keep the contempt out of his voice. But nevertheless, he looked at his grandfather, "What about?" He inquired lightly, doing his best to appear unchanged by the events of the past few months.

"Listen Henry…" David wasn't sure how to continue. Yes, he's the one who wanted to talk, but lately it was not easy to approach the boy. "About Regina-"

"You mean my _mom_?" The boy interrupted, not liking how they often tried to pretend that was anything but.

David began again, albeit cautiously. "Yeah… I know that this has been hard on you, we all do and… well… I just want to make sure you are okay."

Henry looked David in the eye. He hoped that he was doing a good job at hiding the anger that was swirling through him; because David was seriously pissing him off. "How okay do you expect me to be?" He asked calmly.

The older male ran a hand through his mussed hair. "Fair enough. It's just… Henry it's been three months and you haven't really talked about it… with anyone. We're just all worried about you."

"That's funny. You weren't worried about me when you banished my mom." He regretted the words the moment they left his lips. He wasn't supposed to be doing this. He wasn't supposed to let them know how upset he really was.

_Flashback_

"Well, in that case, perhaps _I_ can be of some assistance to you, my Prince."

_Henry was shocked out of his daze as the visage of Sydney appeared in the mirror. "What- Sydney… Wait, how did you-"_

"_You called me." The mirror simply responded, not bothering to wait for the boy to finish his question._

_The youth nodded his head, "Wow, I mean… I knew you were originally the Magic Mirror, but seeing it…" He trailed off disbelievingly._

_Sydney impatiently rolled his eyes. "Well, technically I was originally a genie, but that's a story for another time." He told the boy, before giving him an intense stare. "For now, shall we discuss your little situation?" He suggested._

_At those words, Henry's demeanor dropped once more. "Oh that…" His mood deflated. "My mom," He spoke in a nearly hushed whisper. "Show me Regina." He demanded._

_The mirror was all too happy to comply. "Very well." He spoke, before smoke clouded his image and then cleared to reveal a banished queen. Regina could be seen walking down a long dusty road. The people of the village were shouting and jeering at her. Still no one dared to come close. Though she was weak, they knew that she still had power; and no one wanted to test the theory as to just how much. Henry watched as she walked with her head held high, oozing with confidence and regal flair. He smiled lightly, knowing that she'd never let anyone see her as defeated. However, soon his smile fell away, because he knew better; because he knew that without him, her world was crashing all around her. He knew this simply because it was the same for him. Smoke swirled once more within the mirror, and seconds later Sydney reappeared. He immediately noticed Henry's demeanor. "The Queen is taking expulsion in stride." He remarked._

_However, Henry didn't hear him, with only one thing on his mind. "I… I need to go to her." He insisted. "I need to find her."_

"_Find her?" The mirror questioned; after all, she wasn't lost. Not yet at least._

"_Yes, she was sent away. They won't let her return." He explained quickly._

_Sydney nodded his floating head. "Aww yes. I assume '_they'_ being the fair Snow White and her prince."_

_Henry nodded his head. "And my mo- Emma too." He said, voice betraying his distress. "They just, they…" He was getting worked up now. "She was changing… she changed… for me… and they didn't care." His voice broke as tears threatened to once more rain down his cheeks. "They didn't care about her, they didn't care about..." He trailed off sorrowfully, looking away._

"_They didn't care about… _you_?" Sydney inquired._

"_No." Henry answered so softly that Sydney nearly missed it. But he needn't have fretted, for Henry continued. "No they didn't." The young boy returned his gaze to the mirror, "No they don't." He all but growled._

_Sydney was surprised to see the hate sparking within the depths of young Henry's eyes. Never before had he seen such eyes, except for perhaps… Regina. They continued for a while in silence. Henry was slowly succumbing to his rage, and Sydney knew that he needed to take control of the situation before the boy did something rash. "What is it that you want Prince Henry?" He could not help but ask._

_Henry looked up in surprise at the sound of Sydney's voice. He had forgotten that he was not alone. What did he want? That was easy, his mother… Regina. But he couldn't have her, she was gone. And he knew not where. "I want to leave this place and find my mom." He said honestly._

"_A difficult task when you are but a foreigner to this realm. You know not the customs or the dangers that lie in wake." Sydney spoke to Henry like the child that he was. "How do you propose to escape this place? Knowing there are guards at every turn in this palace. If you by some odd miracle find a way out, how do you propose to survive the very perils the castle walls protect you against?" He asked sternly. "This world is not a story book, your highness. If you are not careful, it could very well be your death sentence." He finished, allowing his grave words to reverberate throughout the chamber._

_Though frightening the words may be, they did not deter Henry in his goal. "You've been in the castle for a long time, right? So… you must know about hidden pathways and stuff like that to get me outta here." The mirror said nothing, only continued to listen to Henry's reasoning. "You've already offered your help, so I guess… I'm accepting."_

"_I do know a vast number of secrets regarding this palace; having served your mother for many years." Sydney nodded his head. "I could indeed help you escape; however, I will not. Not until you are ready."_

"_I _am_ ready!" Henry yelled at him._

_Sydney shook his head. "I love your mother." Henry looked both shocked and unsettled by this revelation. "And as favor to her, I will help you; but I will not endanger you. Once I am confident that you could protect yourself outside these castle walls, young one, I will guide you past them."_

_Henry nodded his head, resisting the urge to pout. "How… how do I learn to protect myself? Emma won't let the guards train me."_

"_Appeal to your grandfather. Insist that he teach you the art of the sword and whatever survival tactics needed of a prince. I'm sure he will be all too eager to find a way back into your good graces, my liege." Henry nodded his head at the instruction. "You are angry young prince, and rightfully so. However, I must implore that you not give way to such feelings when you are amongst your kin. In order for you to succeed, a level of deceit must be practiced."_

_Henry took in all that was said. He didn't want to lie, but if he got him to his mother, then he really had no other choice. He nodded his head in consent. "Okay, I'll do it." He decided. After all, his mother was a master at disguising her true feelings; well, whenever she wanted to. How hard could it be?_

_End flashback._

"_That's funny. You weren't worried about me when you banished my mom."_

David hesitated at those words, more like the tone of those words. It was clear that they still were not forgiven. "I'm sorry Henry, I didn't mean-"

"No, I'm sorry Grandpa. I just, don't like to talk about it." Henry interrupted, hoping to smooth things over. "She couldn't stay here. You guys had no choice. I understand that now." He finished as humble as he could muster.

The older male simply smiled down at his grandson. It felt good to be called 'grandpa' again. A smile came easily to his face as he walked over and placed a hand onto Henry's shoulder. "You know we never wanted to hurt you; but this is for the best." David told him.

Pushing down the irritation that immediately flooded him, Henry nodded his head. "So, how am I doing? You think I'll be as good as you and Hook someday?"

David looked down at Henry's eager bright face. It's been too long since he's seen it. He's glad Henry asked him to train him, so that they'd have the opportunity to fix their fractured relationship. "Better. You're a natural Henry. I dare say a chip off the old block." Then he frowned a little. "Well, not _that_ old."

"Old enough." Henry said jokingly.

"Hey!" David shouted in mock offense. "I'll have you know, I am still considered to be in my prime young man."

"Says the guy with a 31 year old daughter and a 13 year old grandson." Henry reminded him with a laugh.

David dramatically threw a hand over his chest. "You wound me Henry." He said, before letting out a laugh of his own; too distracted to notice the newcomer entering the training field.

"Sounds like you guys are having quite the time out here." Came the breathy voice, followed by a soft chuckle.

Both David and Henry turned to face the person who had just spoken. "Hi honey." David greeted with a large smile.

"Hey Em… Mom." Henry greeted, catching himself from calling her by her name. It was still awkward for him. Yeah, back in Storybrooke, he became accustomed to doing so. But now, after what she did, he couldn't help but feel betrayed. And what's worse is the guilt he felt at being the real reason he lost his mom. After all, if he never went looking for Emma, he'd still be with Regina. Sure everyone would still be cursed, but… He mentally sighed; he was so conflicted.

"Hey Kid." Emma's face brightened at the smile on Henry's face. She was so happy that he was adjusting to everything so well. They'd been here for three months now, and aside from the slight bump with Regina, Henry as never seemed happier. She was immensely grateful that he had forgiven her. Now she needed only to forgive herself. She didn't regret her decision to stand by her parents' decree of exiling Regina; but rather, her reasoning for it. It wasn't the safety of the kingdom, because Emma truly believed that Regina had indeed changed and would not hurt anyone. But instead of coming to the woman's defense, she had a more selfish agenda. She wanted Henry to herself. Since the moment she gave him up for adoption, she'd regretted it. This is their second chance; and having Regina around would have only served as a reminder of what she gave up thirteen years ago. "So, what have you guys been up to out here?" She asked, eyeing the wooden swords. "Training?"

"Yeah, we get up bright and early every morning for Henry's training in swordsmanship. He's starting at a later age than most, but he is a very quick learner. He'll be a knight in no time." David told her, beaming with pride at his young student.

"How did I not know about this?" Emma asked with a smile on her face, but it was quite obvious that she was bothered by this news.

"Yeah, well…" David trailed off.

Henry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his grandfather's timidity. "Because we knew how you'd be." He answered with a slight frown, not even bothering to hide his true feelings.

Emma was a little shocked at his tone. "Well, Henry I am your mother, and I don't think this is a good idea. You're too young-"

"You never think anything is a good idea. You heard David. I'm starting late. We're not in New York anymore Emma." She flinched at the usage of her name. "If I'm gonna be a prince, I'll need to do princely things. And one of them is being able to wield a sword." He argued, getting worked up.

Emma never one to back down, crossed her arms before replying. "It isn't safe-" She began but was quickly interrupted.

"Stop coddling me Emma!" He shouted, unable to restrain himself. "If you were really worried about my safety you would encourage me to learn how to defend myself." He gripped his wooden sword so hard, his knuckles were white. "It's like you want to baby me, feed me, hold my hand… you want me completely dependent on you… Well newsflash, you missed those years. I am thirteen now. And you need to stop treating me like a child!" He finished, anger burning in his eyes as he took in his birth mother's appearance.

Emma was beyond shocked at his words. Did she coddle him? She hadn't really noticed. "Henry I… I just want the best for you." She told him, hoping he'd understand. David stood on the sidelines, wanting to intervene, but feeling it best that mother and son worked out their differences themselves.

His shoulders slumped at the sound of her voice. Then anger diminished from Henry's eyes just as quickly as it came. He didn't take pleasure in the hurt he saw written plainly across Emma's face. Henry didn't mean to say those things, but out of all of them, he was most upset with her. This hiding your emotions thing is a lot harder than his mom, _Regina, _made it look. His eyes burned, a sign that unshed tears were soon to follow. Still, he already opened the box… Henry shook his head. "No Emma, stop saying that. Just… stop lying to yourself." He pleaded, tired of the entire conversation.

"I'm not… What are you talking about?" Emma asked, not bothering to hide the hurt from her voice.

"You don't want what's best for me. You want what's best for you." Henry told her as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You always have."

David decided that it was time that he stepped in. "Now Henry, this has gone far enough."

Henry just stared at Emma, ignoring David completely. He watch as silent tears slid down her face. He could feel his own eyes welling up. "You said that you sent my mom away because it was what was best for me. How is taking a child away from their mom a good thing? You didn't even ask me to see how I felt about it. That's because you weren't doing it for me, you were doing it for you." He said calmly. "Because it was _easier_ that way."

Emma shook her head. "No, Henry-"

The boy only held up a hand to silence her. "When we met, you told me my dad was dead." His eyes turned hard. "That wasn't for me either. You just found it _easier_ to lie to me, than to admit that he left you." He told her, as he watched her head snap back as though she were slapped. David moved to Emma's side, grabbing onto her shoulders. She didn't resist. She barely showed any sign that she felt him at all. "When I was _born_…" Henry began, voice breaking a little.

"Henry, please…" Emma sobbed, wishing he'd not continue.

Henry vigorously wiped at the tears now escaping from his eyes. "When I was born you… you gave me away."

Emma broke away from David and fell onto her knees in front of Henry, reaching out for him. "To give you your best chance!" She shouted as she grabbed onto his free hand. She needed him to understand that.

He shook his head while pulling out of her grasp. "No, you just tell yourself that to feel better about it. But really, it was just _easier_ than becoming a mom. After all, you never had one, so what did you know about being a parent." At those words, Emma was not the only one who flinched; as you could see David wincing from behind her. Emma's shoulders began shaking, as she quietly sobbed. David knelt down behind her, to offer comfort in his arms. Henry didn't like the sight. "I… I didn't mean to hurt you Emma, it's just… You made your choices, and nothing you do now can change the fact that someone else raised me." He realized that he probably should not have blown up over this, but he was tired of Emma acting like she'd been there the entire time. Those memories of New York were not real. "I don't hate you. I just need for you to not to treat me like a little kid." He said with a deep sigh. "I'm… I think I'll go clean up." He said glancing over his attire. Henry walked away from them, putting away his wooden sword on his way inside.

David did not know what to do. He was simply astonished at what just went down. He was broken out of his reverie by the deep sobs of his daughter. "Oh Emma…" He began, wishing he could take away the hurt.

"I don't…" Emma started, clutching onto David's sleeve. "I just can't get through to him." She told him, as sobs wracked her body once more. The problem was that she knew that what Henry was saying was true. This was the first time that she truly regretted exiling Regina.

.

.

Henry rushed into what was now his bed chamber. At first, Emma and his grandparents had argued against it; but he was able to convince them in the end. After all, no one else really wanted to stay in Regina's former room. He mostly kept everything the same. Same furniture, but new brighter bedding. The wardrobe now held his clothes; Regina's having since been placed into storage due to Henry's insistence. He did keep her vanity; though all of the makeup and jewelry were removed. That is, with the exception of one ruby necklace. When he looked at it, for some reason it reminded him of his mother's smile. The rest of her jewelry was also in storage. Aside from all of that, the rest of the chamber was filled with his various items.

He quickly pulled off his outer jacket and tossed it to the side. He wasn't exactly angry anymore, but he was annoyed. Annoyed with Emma for treating him like a kid; and annoyed with himself for losing his cool. Just when they were getting to a place where she was comfortable around him. He just had to lose his temper. Now she'll be walking on eggshells around him again. Not to mention probably ending his training sessions with David. He shrugged his shoulders. "No matter, I'll just find someone else capable." He resolved.

Glancing towards the mirror, he decided to have a look in on his mother. He walked up to the vanity and looked deeply at his reflection. "Mirror…" He called out. "Show me my mom." He ordered. Smoke swirled from beneath the glass, and soon cleared to reveal… Emma? Henry all but growled, "I'm not in the mood Sydney." He didn't want to see Emma, who was now being comforted by her mother. The mirror once again filled with a thick cloud of smoke. Several moments later and it was still cloudy. "Mirror." Henry warned. The smoke swirled once more before revealing… Sydney? Henry frowned. "I said show me my mom. Show me Regina."

Sydney's face was solemn as he informed Henry, "I'm afraid the queen cannot be located."

Henry's eyes widened a fraction. "What do you mean?" He asked in confusion. After all, this was _the _Magic Mirror. He let out a gasp as a horrible thought crossed his mind. "Is she… she isn't…" He couldn't finish the question.

"This I cannot say for certain." Sydney told the boy seriously. "But I truly believe that Regina yet lives."

The young prince simply rose a skeptically brow. "If- if she's not…" He shook his head as though he were shaking the thought away. "Then why else would you not see her."

"Regina is a powerful sorceress. True her powers have been cut short. Perhaps within these past months she has been able to store up enough for a cloaking spell." The mirror explained.

"A cloaking spell?" Henry asked in awe.

Sydney nodded his head. "Yes. Such a spell would prevent me from locating her or determining whether she still lived or not."

A look of determination fell onto Henry's young face. "She's alive. I'd know if she weren't." He said, trying desperately to believe his own words.

It was quiet for a moment before Henry's shoulders slumped and the boy appeared to be deflated. "Your Majesty?" The mirror inquired.

"If you can't see her anymore, how will I ever find her?" He questioned seemingly to himself, for his eyes never reached Sydney's. "All of this training… and for what?!" He suddenly shouted in rage. "I should have never waited!" He then turned to the mirror angrily. "You should've let me leave when I wanted to! I'll never find her now!" His face was reddened. "I'll never… I…" He sighed, his fingers combing through his lengthened raven locks.

"If I may… all hope is not yet lost." Sydney interjected.

Henry looked at the mirror with defeated eyes. "Yeah? How do you figure?" He asked unconvinced.

"I cannot locate the queen because my abilities are quite limited." He told Henry matter-of-factly. "What we need is magic."

"Magic?" Henry questioned warily.

Sydney nodded his head. "Go to the candlestick on the far right side of the mantle." He watched as Henry walked over to the fireplace. "Pull first up and then down to the left."

Henry did as instructed. Immediately the wall beside the fireplace opened up to reveal a hidden stairwell. Startled by this discovery, Henry turned back to his mother's vanity and saw only his reflection. Sydney was gone. Curiosity took over, and Henry stepped into the opening; however, not before grabbing one of the lit torches on the near wall. Once he was all the way in, the opening closed shut.

.

.

"You should have seen his face. He _hates_ me." Emma pleaded, her eyes final dried of her tears; but face still clearly distraught.

"Oh Emma, I'm sure that just isn't so." Snow White comforted her daughter. It hurt her to see her child this way. She shouldn't have to go through this; not after everything she's already been through.

Emma shook her head. "No, he does. And I can't even blame him for it. We took away his mother. _I _took away his mom."

"He's _your_ son Emma." Snow counseled.

"See you're wrong there." The blonde said in a shaky voice. "I came into his life when he was ten. He was already so grown up. And I… I'm not even the one who went looking for him. He went looking for me."

Snow nodded her head encouragingly. "Exactly. He needed you Emma. He wanted _you_." She implored.

"Only because he thought Regina didn't love him. But she does." Emma acknowledged. "And Henry knows that. And we know that. And we still sent her away." She turned away from Snow. "We're horrible people. That's why Kil-… Hook left."

"No we're not." Snow was beginning to feel upset. "Don't let Regina, or Hook for that matter, make you question who you are."

"I'm not." Emma ran a hand through her hair. "I've felt terrible each and every day after that decision to send Regina away. Not just because of Henry, but because it didn't feel right. Maybe here in this land, banishments and cold executions by fire squad are common place. But you forget I didn't grow up here. This place still feels foreign to me. I grew up learning that everything isn't black and white, that there are always shades of gray. I grew up believing in a justice system, where you were innocent until proven guilty." She reasoned. "And even though it is clear that Regina did those horrible deeds, she still deserved a trial. I mean, she could have had character witnesses to talk about her good deeds."

Snow rose from her seat, crossing her arms in the process. "That would not have changed all of the harm that she's done in the past Emma."

"No but… In _my_ world, people were imprisoned in hopes of rehabilitation." Emma told her, pretending she didn't notice Snow's flinching at her usage of 'my'. "I believe with my heart that Regina was rehabilitated. The truth is I just didn't want to share Henry, because I do regret giving him away. That's why I voted for the exile. I wasn't thinking of anyone but myself." Emma's shoulders slumped. "I'm a selfish person. And I lost Kil- Hook because of it. And now I'm losing Henry."

"This isn't your fault Emma." Snow said hoping her words didn't fall on deaf ears.

"We made a mistake." Emma simply shook her head. "This place is changing us… Or at least it's changing me." She then looks down at her attire, before releasing a chuckle that didn't quite meet her eyes. "I mean look at me. Some days I don't even recognize myself." She said in a whisper, tears forming once again in her eyes. Before Snow could say anything further, Emma rushed away.

.

.

Henry walked down the steep stairwell; feeling along the grooves of the stone wall as he descended. Once he reached the bottom, he was unsure as to whether he should continue or head back. Knowing that he probably wouldn't know how to open that wall on this side of it, he chose to simply stay his course. Several steps down the narrow passage, a light appeared in a doorway in the distance. Seeing that he had no other choice, he continued towards it.

Upon arrival to the source, he realized that it was not a light at all, but another mirror with Sydney smiling face upon it. "Welcome Prince Henry to your mother's secret lair." He said with a sardonic grin as Henry walked into the room. He then motioned towards the torches on the wall beside him and all around the room. "If you would do the honors…" He suggested.

Henry complied and once he was done, the dark room was much better lit. Not as good as it would be with florescent lights, but functional. He took the time to look over the room. He saw a couple of cauldrons; one in the corner and one in the middle of the room. A few bookshelves filled with books and vials of liquid; no doubt potions and ingredients. It was covered in cobwebs, but everything looked as though it were left exactly as it was before the big curse. "So, this was literally where the magic happened?" He questioned, grinning at his little joke. _'Pun totally intended.'_ He thought to himself.

"This is where your mother spent many of her days as pupil to the Dark One when she was but a young queen. The space was not in the original designs of this palace. It was created, through magic, for her; as a gift from Rumplestiltskin." Sydney explained.

Henry only nodded his head. He then thought over their previous conversation. "You said that I needed magic? But you have magic." He pointed out.

Sydney merely shook his head. "Technically I am cursed in this form. It has given abilities to see that which would otherwise be unseen, but like I stated, my abilities are quite limited.

Henry thought over what he said. "So, I just need someone with stronger magic?" Sydney only nodded his head. "Like who?"

"The Dark One is capable." The former genie informed him.

"You're kidding, right?" Henry asked in a deadpanned voice.

"He is your grandfather." Sydney reminded him.

Henry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but he also hates my mom; even though he practically created who she became. I don't trust him." He crossed his arms, a distinct replica of his blonde mother's stance earlier that day. "Besides, he'd just run to David and the others and tell them what I'm up to."

The mirror sighed. "Very well." And he said no more.

The brunette was a little surprised by this. "What? No more options? Rumple can't be the only one who could help me."

The mirror remained quiet for a time, and then let out a deep sigh. "No… I suppose not."

Henry narrowed his eyes at him. "Why are you so… hesitant all of a sudden? What aren't you telling me?"

"There is but a small few within this realm with strong enough magic to assist you." Sydney began. "However, there is but one other, than the Dark One himself, who may be willing to help _you_."

"Well, who is it?" Henry asked impatiently, as he witnessed Sydney's form disappearing once more.

The mirror was filled with a thick swirling smokey essence once more. "I believe this particular individual…" The smoke thinned considerably, before dissipating completely. "…goes by the name of…" Henry's eyes widened in recognition of the deviously smiling, stunning beauty. "Maleficent."

**.**

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**AN: First off… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU… THANK YOU SO MUCH! for reading my fic. I'm really glad that you guys are as excited about what's going to happen as I am. Sorry if there is any OOC, I'm not really used to writing for OUAT. Plus, my entire plot is somewhat OOC, so if some of the characters are as well… let's blame it on that lol.**

**But as far as Henry's behavior goes... come on guys, he just lost his mom. I don't care how upset he was at her, it's very difficult for parents to lose their children's love. Trust me, I see it everyday in my line of work and too many times I see some parents who don't even deserve the wonderful children that they have; and no matter what they've done or continue to do, their kids still love them. And I'm not just talking under 18, there are adult kids still coming to terms with the love they still feel for an abusive parent. Not to say that that is the case for all, just what I see mostly.  
**

**Also, Henry was mostly mad at Regina when she would hurt those that he loved. Like when he thought she sent Emma and Snow to the Enchanted forest on purpose. He wanted everyone to be a family. So now that it's Emma who has hurt Regina, of course he's gonna be made at her. She's not exempt; especially since he kind of placed her on a pedestal. Simply put, he expect better from her.**

**Sorry for any grammatical errors or typos, I don't proofread. I know, it's terrible, it's just that as soon as it's written I like to get it out there. Because otherwise it's just gonna sit, because I'll have every intention to proofread, but just won't get to it.**

**I was going to throw in a scene with Captain Hook… but decided against it. We'll find out what he's been up to next chapter I guess, and maybe a little more on the Charmings and Emma. Regina will not be making another appearance until probably chapter 5. The first part of this fic is to reflect what Henry is going through, the choices that he makes, and where they lead him. Will he succumb to the same temptations as his mother once did? After all, she once trusted Rumple, should he trust Maleficent? Then I'll go into what Regina went through. And then finally, I will write their story consecutively. You'll see what I'm going for.**

**For those of you wondering this is not a Hooked Queen romance, though there may be a Hooked Queen friendship. It is not a Captain Swan; I'm not particularly sold on this pairing, but may reconsider since the show seems to support it. If I do, I will portray Hook as Season 2 Hook. I agree with 94 that his character has become a bit "messy." Just because he may have feelings for Emma (which I don't really get where they came from), it shouldn't change who he is as a person. Still, he's mostly a minor character in this story, so we'll see. I can be lenient. (smiley face)**

**It is however an Outlaw Queen; I just couldn't resist. I did enjoy Hooked Queen and Mad Queen (though the actor for Jefferson just signed his 7 year contract with the Marvel movies, so we may never see him on OUAT again. I'm sad, but happy for the actor.) Still, just something about Outlaw Queen, but it won't be until later on. Even little Henry may meet someone, though when he's older.**

**I also want to give a SPECIAL THANKS to:**

**DARK HEART ARROW**

**MANNING16**

**RESTLESSsEAS**

**AREANNA123**

**KUROTENSHI-08**

**GUEST 1**

**ALIASsPYcRAZY**

**GUEST 2**

**PEACEFULLYjOS**

**CARO MENDEZ94**

**THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!**

**Hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. And PLEASE….**

… … **AS ALWAYS… … …**

… … … … … **PLEASE REVIEW… … … … **

**It keeps me sane…**


	3. Chapter Two: Illicit Pursuits

_Disclaimer: I do not own any Once Upon A Time characters; or any other previously established fairy tale characters. However, the plot is mine._

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**Far, Doth Not the Apple Fall**

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**Chapter**** Two: Illicit Pursuits**

**.**

It had been another six months and Henry was vastly improving in his swordsmanship. No longer eager for his grandfather to teach him, he was now being instructed by several of the top guards of his grandparents' soldiers. One guard, in particular, was once a knight of the round table; Sir Lancelot. "You are a quick study Prince Henry. If I didn't know better, I'd think you had been studying the craft of swordsmanship for years." Lancelot told him from the sidelines, as he watched Henry spar against two opponents.

Henry wiped the cuff of his shirt over his sweaty brow. "Amazing what the proper motivation can do." He told the knight, as his thoughts of his lost mother filled his mind.

The darker male smiled a kind smile. "And what motivation would that be?" He asked, curious as to what could possibly incite such vigorous training from one so young.

The young Prince simply grinned at the older male. "Why, protecting the innocence of the people of my kingdom… Or at least what will one day be my kingdom." He told Lancelot, before nodding to the other two guards to continue sparring.

Lancelot narrowed his eyes at Henry's answer. He couldn't be sure, but he was certain that though Henry was smiling when he vowed to protect the kingdom, the smile never reached his eyes. In fact, they appeared to grow darker. The knight knew that the boy missed his other mother; he was but a child after all. Still, he feared that young Henry was throwing himself into this training to distract himself.

Lancelot let out a sigh, before making a quick decision to speak with his good friend, Queen Snow, about this development. He didn't mind the boy getting stronger; there was great potential in him. However, he didn't want to see the boy fall in his sorrow. "Alright," He called out to one of the guards standing at his side, "let's make this interesting." He said, nodding for the guard to join in the foray. Henry adapted well to the added attacker. "Yes, great potential indeed." Lancelot mumbled to himself with a frown, deep in thought.

.

.

Emma was standing before the large mirror in her chamber. She was looking over her attire; garments befitting a princess of the realm. The dress was long and stuffy; a pale pink with frills delicately placed all over. It was one of her casual ones; if such a word could even be used to describe it. Her hair flowed down her back in soft waves, curling at the ends. A sterling golden tiara rested upon her head. She truly did look like a fairy tale character… and she hated it.

She tried desperately not to glare at her reflection, but it proved difficult not to. After all, the person before her looked like someone her former self would have called a sellout. This wasn't her… and she hated that.

The blonde released a deep sigh as she made her way out of her room. She was late for a meeting with the council. In fact, she was quite sure that she had missed it entirely. No matter, her parents would definitely give her the cliff notes later; along with a lecture on her duties and expectations. Never before did she miss New York as she does now, walking down the massive hall, guards at every turn.

She thought of Henry and his duties and expectations. She couldn't help but feel that she got the raw end of the deal. How much simpler her life would be if she were born a male. How much simpler her life would be if she never gave Henry up and never stepped foot in Storybrooke. However, there was no use in crying over spilled milk; not now.

Emma finally stopped in front of two knights guarding two colossal double doors. Her eyes narrowed when they didn't automatically open the doors for her. "I wish to see my father… the King." She told them, trying not to grow suspicious at the way they shared a look, before opening the grand doors to the Royal Hall.

.

.

"How goes training, young Prince?" Asked the looking glass, once the doors slammed shut. Henry purposely ignored the Mirror; choosing instead to head to his side chamber, where he could clean up. Forty minutes later, he emerged fully washed and clothed in fresh attire. His hair was still slightly damp, brushing against neck. He moved about the room with an authoritative stance. Long gone was the curious albeit naïve boy at the tender age of ten. Here stood a serious determined young man, not long for his fifteenth year. When he walked, he walked with resolve; and when he spoke, he spoke with purpose. "Due for a trim your Majesty?" The Mirror asked, hoping to gain a response from the troubled boy; no, not boy, young man.

Henry was flipping through one of the periodicals he had found in his mother's secret chamber. At Sydney's question, he raised his eyes to the mirror with a slight glare. "_That_ is none of _your_ concern Mirror." He informed harshly. "Perhaps your time would be best used in finding Maleficent and less on scrutinizing my current hair style." He reprimanded. He was furious that they were no closer to finding the witch than they were six months ago.

Sydney was not moved by this attitude, having spent years with the Evil Queen, who was by far more intimidating than the youth before him. Though, he did raise a brow at the prince's behavior. "I take it, training did not go as planned."

"It was fine." Was Henry's brief response, as he took a seat in a large chair. "Lancelot as proven to be a far better teacher than my grandfather." He spoke as he continued to rummage through the book. "As far as my skill with the sword, and over all self-defense; I believe I have completed your condition for showing me the way out of this place." He reminded the mirror, while his eyes remained on the text before him.

"Yes, you have." Sydney remarked.

The periodical in Henry's hand closed shut. "Good. I wish to leave tonight." He set the book down and swiftly rose from his chair.

Sydney frowned at that. "So soon?"

"It would seem that I'll have to go about looking for Maleficent myself." Henry sneered at the mirror. "Since you can't be bothered to." He said accusingly.

The former genie had a look upon his visage as though he were debating against something. Letting out a sigh, his head drooped a bit. "I have found no clues as to Maleficent's whereabouts." He stated calmly, before continuing. "However, she has a castle, long since destroyed." The glass filled with smoke only to soon reveal a faraway view of the eastern mountains. "You will find its ruins in the heart of the mountains to the East." The view zoomed in for a closer look, but no more. "The Forbidden Mountains." The view distorted, and once again Henry found himself staring into Sydney's eyes. "This is her domain. If Maleficent still lives, this is where you will find her." He told him solemnly.

Henry absorbed the information before glaring at the informant. "And why am only I hearing about this now?" Henry asked, clearly upset.

"You weren't ready before." Sydney simply answered. "The Forbidden Mountains are not to be trifled with."

Though Henry did not care for that answer one bit, he knew better than to focus on trivial things. Conceding the point, he nodded his head. "Fine. I'll leave tonight." He decided.

"Might I make a suggestion your majesty?" Sydney asked.

Henry's eyes were like steel. "Can I stop you?"

The mirror ignored the barb. "Allow a fortnight to pass." At the narrow of the prince's eyes, Sidney quickly continued. "This is a journey for which you must carefully prepare."

Henry thought over the request. As much as he hated to wait, he knew that the mirror spoke truth. If he was to find his mother, he'd need the sorceress's help. And if he was to find and convince the sorceress to help him, he'd need to be smart. He nodded his head. "Very well. What all do I need to prepare?" He asked, for the first time in a long time, he was filled with the exhilaration of adventure. 'Just like in the fairy tales.' He thought with a smirk.

.

.

"Sir Lancelot is here to see you, my queen." A voice spoke, breaking Snow out of her thoughts. She turned around to see one of her guards escorting her old friend to her seating area. Snow rose from her bench with a bright smile on her face.

Lancelot stood before and fell into a deep bow. "My queen." He greeted.

Snow glanced to the guard, nodding for him to return to his post. She looked down upon her dear friend. "Rise Lancelot, and give me a proper greeting." She told him with a laugh in her voice. He did as told, chuckling along the way. He walked up to her and they shared a brief hug. Pleased at this more informal way of greeting, she inquired, "So, what brings you to my garden?" She asked, moving to return to her seat on her bench. She gestured for him to take the seat on the other end.

Lancelot sat down, looking over the area with a fine eye. "Your garden is immaculate; rivaling even the majestic garden of Camelot." He commented enthusiastically, thinking of his former home.

"Thank you." She said, before sadness reached her eyes. "I love this place. The royal gardens have always been a place that I could go and be reminded of my mother."

"The queen?" He asked surprised, thinking of Regina.

"Queen Eva." She said after a slight hesitation. "Regina actually had her own private garden that I was never allowed to visit; though one night I did steal a peek." She admitted with a soft smile. Thinking of times before Regina grew dark. "I remember seeing the most stunning apple tree; its branches thick and leaves lush. And the apples… the most brilliant red you'd ever seen..." She trailed off a little with a faraway look. "I suppose even then, I knew it was magical." She then grinned, "But that was a long time ago. It's Henry's private garden now."

His eyes widened at that. "Is it?" He asked, thinking of the boy's dark look from the morning.

She nodded her head gently. "I could not deny him the request of having it solely to himself." She commented, face frowning in concern. "After all, I understand the need of having a peaceful place to remember ones mother." Snow finished, feeling her face color with embarrassment. "I'm sorry for babbling on about such things." She said, thinking that he couldn't possibly be interested in any of this.

Lancelot smiled kindly to her. "No, it is alright."

Her smile widened as she was determined to change the subject. "So tell me… what brings you here to see me, dear friend?"

"Actually, his lordship, Prince Henry." He began. "As you may know, I have been tasked with his apprenticeship in sword mastery and hand-to-hand combat." At the nod of her head, he continued. "Though it is not a difficult charge to bear; the boy is remarkably talented."

"That is good to hear. I'm pleased that he is making such progress." Snow responded, quite happy with the outcome. "David and I thought a distraction from Regina's exile might bring his spirits up."

Lancelot looked disparagingly at those words. "That is just it. His sole focus is on his training. He has little time for anything else; and he shows no interest in anything unrelated to combat."

"Perhaps he just needs a little more time." She reasoned, not wanted to acknowledge the unhealthy aspects of this situation.

He sighed. "Today at practice, he took on three of my men; he fought like a machine. And though usually, I would be pleased at such progress in a pupil; there is something else, which I find… unsettling."

Snow narrowed her eyes at that. "What do you mean?" She asked cooly.

"His eyes…" Lancelot began, taking in Snow's stance. "Perhaps it is nothing. I do not wish to overstep." He made to get up, but was halted by a small hand gripping his forearm.

"If it were nothing, you would not be here clearly full of concern." She pointed out; and then relaxed her pose. She need not be on guard. Lancelot was her friend; and if he found something troubling, she should be aware. "What is it?" She asked.

He looked at her a moment, before deciding it best to continue. "His eyes were filled with _nothing_. Even though a smile was spread clear onto his face; his eyes were of a void which I had not seen in a long time. Not since…" He trailed off fearfully.

Snow was filled with dread. "Regina?" She asked tentatively.

Lancelot wished it had been like that of the former Evil Queen's. But he shook his head 'no,' for the look had been much colder. He looked Snow clear in the eyes and told her, "Cora."

.

.

David was going over a few documents at his massive desk in his private chamber. He looked up, startled as the doors to his office were opened; he had no appointments scheduled this afternoon. The frown on his face quickly lifted into a smile once he recognized the visitor to be his first born. "Emma, how are you today sweetheart?" He asked rising for his seat and moving around his desk.

Emma allowed him to pull her into a hug. "I'm fine… dad…" She trailed off, still not used to calling a man who looked practically her age by the term of endearment.

He tried not to show his disappointment at her hesitancy, but his smile drooped a bit. "Please, take a seat and tell me to what I owe this visit." He instructed, quickly moving back to his own seat.

She looked at him a little uncomfortable as the feeling of guilt settled in her stomach. Pushing those thoughts away, she took the seat proffered to her. "It's about Henry." He looked up at her expectantly, but then she shook her head. "Well, it's actually about me too. I-" She had too much going on in her head.

David noticing her distress, decided to guide her through the conversation. "How about we just start with you first; and then we can discuss your concerns with Henry." He suggested.

Emma nodded her head, taking a deep sigh. "This isn't me." She told him plainly.

"Come again?" He asked, confused as to what she meant.

"This," She gestured to her tiara and then down her dress, "Is. Not. Me."

"Emma," He began, having been over this more times than he could count. "You get used t-"

"No!" She interrupted him. "I'm not going to let you talk me into this again." She told him obviously upset. "I've been waiting for this to become my norm, but it just isn't. I feel like," Her face was scrunched up now, "like I'm in someone else's skin. I've lost myself and I don't know how to… find me." She finished, tears filling her eyes.

David soon realized just how serious this was. "Have you spoken to your mother about how you feel?" He asked.

Emma's head dropped. "She doesn't care."

"Emma!" David exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, she doesn't. I've told her and she just tells me that I'll get used to it." She told him angrily.

David sighed, "She cares Emma. She just wants what's best for you. And she… we both feel that it is in your best interest to acclimate to this world." He tried to explain to her gently. He pained him to see her shoulders drop at that. She'd never see them as her true parents if she felt ostracized by them. "I'll… I'll talk to her; maybe we can have some less 'girly' dresses made for you. Regina used to have a dress pant combo for easy mobility; maybe something like that, just less dark." He told her with a smile, trying to get one out of her as well.

Emma slowly grinned at him at that thought. "Not dark, but definitely not pink… or yellow…. Let's just stay away from the pastels." She told him. "And no tiara."

"Deal." He agreed. "The tiara does not have to be worn all of the time, but remember it for special occasions as well as full dresses for those occasions as well."

She let out a deep sigh, before nodding her head. "Deal." She then laughed, "Well, that helps a little."

He narrowed his eyes at that. "Was there something else?"

"Well it wasn't just the clothes." She admitted. "I have nothing to do here."

David looked at her for a long while, noticing her fidgeting at his appraisal. "Would you like to assist me with all of this?" He asked her, motioning towards the documents on his desk. "Now that Snow's busy with Neal, she's not able to help with the governing of this kingdom. But I could definitely use a second pair of eyes."

Emma's eyes sparked at that. "Like your deputy?"

He chuckled at that. It wasn't so long ago that his was hers. "Yeah, something like that."

She frowned. "You'd trust me with that?"

He was shocked at that. Didn't she know what she meant to them by now? "Of course Emma. You are my daughter and I love you." He told her. Noticing her unease at his declaration, he continued, "Plus you are the savior and princess of this realm." He pointed out.

She nodded her head at acceptance of that. "Well, in that case, I'd like to suggest that we lift Regina's exile and welcome her back with a pardon." She told him quickly, wincing at the way his face changed.

"What?!" He asked incredulously.

Emma sighed, "We should have never sent her away like that. Not after accepting her as we did in Storybrooke."

"I'm not letting that woman anywhere near my son!" David shouted angrily. Just the thought of Regina being near another baby of his, rattled him deeply.

"Well what about my son! He's her son too, and Henry misses her." Emma pointed out, filled with anger; not with David, just the situation.

Still, David was not backing down, "Emma-"

"No, exiling her was the worst thing we could do. She wasn't even a danger to us." Emma pleaded. "She used _light_ magic to defeat Zelena." She pointed out. "That enough should have proved her change."

He shook his head, not wanting to rethink his decision. It was already made; he would not go back on it. King's didn't have such luxuries. "Her exile is the best for everyone." He told her.

"Not for Henry. I'm… I'm _losing_ him." She admitted, face full of pain.

David's entire demeanor changed at that look upon his daughter's face. She's right, he was only thinking of Neal, not of Henry. In fact, he hadn't seen the boy in a couple months. Not since Lancelot took over his training. "How is… how is Henry?" He asked softly.

"He's… he's very unlike himself; unlike the Henry from Storybrooke." She began. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but there are times that he seems very cold. And when I call him out on it, he apologizes and gives me a huge smile; but…" She trailed off, deep in thought.

"What Emma?" He urged.

She looked up into his eyes. "It never reaches his eyes. I know he's growing into a teenager and I know that he misses Regina and blames us for it; but his eyes are so blank. I don't think he can recover from this, not without _her_." She said as though it were painful for her to admit; and it was.

David let out another sigh. "Perhaps it would not be out of character for Snow and me to show mercy and give Regina a pardon, with conditions of course."

"Of course." She nodded her head, pleased that he was agreeing to this; though it filled her with little joy to have Regina return.

"How do you propose we go about finding Regina?" He asked.

"We can send out a scout party to find her." Emma recommended. "I'll lead it. After all, I have plenty of years of experience finding people who don't want to be found." She told him with complete trust in her skills.

David did not like the thought of sending his only daughter to capture a former Evil Queen. But what choice did he really have; Emma was as stubborn as her mother when it came to getting her way. He nodded his head slowly at the plan. "The only thing left now is to tell your mother." He ran a hand through his hair. "This should go over well." He mumbled sarcastically.

.

.

.

**Two weeks later**

.

Henry stands in the secret chamber donning his gear. His dark hair is tucked behind his ears, brushing the nape of his neck. He listens vaguely as the mirror recites a checklist of things for him to remember to take. Once his armor is in place, he sheaths his freshly sharpened sword. Grabbing the shield off of a table, he looked over it hesitantly. "This will only slow me down." He complained, not wishing to take the bulky thing.

"My prince, must I point out that if you do indeed succeed in finding Maleficent, she does have a very formidable dragon transformation. A shield might come in handy." Sydney pointed out dryly.

The prince only shrugged his shoulders. "If _Phillip_ was able to defeat her, I doubt it's that much of a challenge." He said, unimpressed by the king who save his sleeping beauty. Though if Henry were being honest with himself, he'd know that his dislike of Phillip had less to do with the man's fighting skills and more to do with his vote against his mother; sending her into exile.

"Still, it is best to err on the side of caution." The mirror pressed, knowing it foolish not to be prepared for anything.

Henry let out a sigh before grabbing the bulky thing. "Fine, if it will shut you up."

Sydney nodded his head, pleased with the outcome. "The sun is nearly set. You will only have until sunrise to return to the castle." Henry nodded his head at this. "Before you leave, go to that small cabinet on the desk. In the second shelf down you will find a pendant. You'd fair best to wear it on your journey." He watched as Henry followed his instructions.

Henry pulled the pendant out of the small shelf. The amulet was round and similar to a bull's-eye in design with three levels. The third most outer level had fourteen stones of various colors, green, dark blue, orange, and gray; alternating in sequence. The second level was of a copper like material. The center was solid black, but trimmed in a gold vine. The entire thing was held on a thick black cord. "What is it?" He asked in awe.

"It is an Orgone Protection Pendant. Wear it over your heart center and if you ever feel any depletion or emotional pain, hold it over your solar plexus center until the pain disappears." Sydney informed him. "Orgone is life energy, it protect you against harmful unseen energies."

Henry quickly put the pendant on, tucking it under his armor. "Alright, it's time." He told Sydney as he tucked a small hand mirror into his armor. He then walked over to a side wall and opened up a hidden passage that lead out to an exit on the east wing of the palace. He then grabbed a lit torch before moving into the dark passage and leaving the lair.

Traveling through the small pathway, Henry mentally prepared himself for this mission. He had no room for doubting himself; such thoughts could lead to his end. Once he came to the exit, he placed the torch onto the wall, leaving it lit so that it may still be of use upon his return. Stepping out into the crisp night air, Henry breathed in the fresh air. It was time to get to work.

He moved further away from the castle wall, to a meeting place he had set up earlier. As soon as he saw the young stable boy holding his noble steed, Arion, Henry released a soft smile; hoping to not unsettle the boy no older than he was when the curse was broken. "Thank you Tom." He said, pulling out a pouch. He took out two gold coins and handed them to the boy. "Return to this place at sunrise to gather my horse, and this entire bag of gold will be yours." He told the boy, whose family he knew could use the income. He then pocketed the pouch and climbed onto his horse. He looked down at Tom. "Now remember, this stays between us. Friends keep each other's secrets. Are you my friend Tom?" He asked with a soothing smile. The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Then you will keep my secret." He said, before his smile dropped. "Or else I will think you're not my friend. Do you want to know what I do to boys who are not my friend?" He asked Tom ominously. Tom shook his head quickly. "No, I didn't think so." His pleasant smile returned. "You should get home Tom. I'll see you in the morning." He dismissed the boy.

Once Tom had walked off, Henry's face fell into a deep scowl. His gaze soon turned to the murky mountains in the distance. With a kick to his horse, he was off; with only the glow of the moon and stars to light his way.

.

.

Within a few hours, Henry made his way to the Forbidden Forest. Though at first his horse Arion was hesitant to enter the forest, they pressed forward. Another hour later, and many brief consultations with Sydney, Henry finally found himself nearing what once was the castle of Maleficent. However, unfortunately for him, the path was block. If he wanted to continued, he'd have to do it on foot.

Dismounting Arion, Henry pulled the mirror out once more. "I'm here." He announced.

Sydney's face appeared in the small reflection. "If Maleficent is here, she will be drawn to your individual signature. You won't have much 'looking' to do, just invade her space."

Henry nodded his head. "Okay. I'm going in alone." Sydney began to argue, but Henry tossed him into the satchel on Arion. He then tied Arion to the fallen tree blocking their path. "I will be back boy." He made to step away, but then hesitated. He set down his shield and then immediately removed the pendant from around his neck. He then tied it on the strap around Arion's neck. "This should protect you while I am gone." He said, smiling a true smile at what he considered his only friend. Arion neighed in appreciation.

Henry makes his way to the ruins, by climbing over the fallen trees and through a cave. He had no idea how long he was in the cave losing all track of time. His movements were slow, feeling carefully along the cave walls as his eyes were not so trustworthy. Though they had adjusted to the darkness, it was still simply too dark.

He eventually came across a stone wall. "Dammit." He swore realizing the dead end. With a sigh, he turned around ready to double back and try a new route. However, before he could make the attempt, his eyes widen as he opened his mouth in surprise. Standing before him was the ghostly splendor of Maleficent… giving him the most eerie of smiles… and before he could react, she was reaching into his chest with a death grip placed around his heart…

**.**

**.**

**AN: And now we have Chapter Two… Yay! The story's moving along. Just like you guys, I can't wait until we get to the Regina part, but Henry's journey has to be known first. So, tell me what you think.**

**For those of you who want me to continue **_**Never Defeated**_**, I've decided, that yes I will; but not until this one is at Act 3, which is at least ten chapters in. Also, that one will definitely be light-hearted and funny. For those of you who read **_**Vanished**_**, I am already half-way through the next chapter, so expect it this weekend if not tonight.**

**Oh yeah, I decided to pretend that Lancelot didn't die so that I didn't have to introduce an OC.**

**Also, thank you to those who are enjoying this story.**

**A SPECIAL THANK YOU to: **

**HB RULES**

**CARO MENDEZ94**

**EVILREGAL18**

**AREANNA123**

**CAROLINE THE POET**

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**THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!**

**Really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.****And PLEASE….**

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